A/N: Just read. I had to write it; you all KNOW it's TOTALLY IC! And review?

This was problematic.

No, that wasn't quite strong enough… This was a near catastrophe. Arthur could die. Arthur could crawl under his bed from mortification. He would never live it down… The prince felt like he didn't even know who he was anymore; his whole identity was shattered!

Merlin was watching him eat his breakfast, waiting patiently for the list of chores he would receive today, but, Arthur thought with a gulp, that was the problem.

He didn't have any chores for the servant to do!

Merlin was beginning to look concerned, his dark eyebrows drawing together as he saw the expression on Arthur's face and wondered if his master was in pain. "Sire? Are you okay?"

Arthur's eyes flickered up to him, and before Merlin could even register the panic in them, the prince began to babble.

"The stables! Muck out the stables!"

"I… did that early this morning… Arthur, are you—"

"Polish my armor!" The prince leapt to his feet and shouted this like an accusation, causing the bewildered Merlin to stumble backward.

"I did that last night."

"Clean my chambers?" His voice had changed to pleading. It was really quite pathetic.

"Yesterday."

"Wash my…" Arthur cleared his throat, barely able to get this, his last hope, past his lips. "Wash my sheets?"

"Just two nights ago… Arthur, the laundry can't go any faster. What is wrong? You're scaring me!" That was a bit of an understatement, actually; Merlin was practically shaking in full-blown terror at Arthur's sudden attack of… panic? Anger? Complete and total lack of sense?

Arthur sank to his seat again, elbows on the table, blue eyes swimming with tears. "I… I don't…" His head fell heavily into his hands, which were at the exact right height to catch it. "I don't have any chores for you to do! I've run out!"

The words were marred by the sob that escaped him at the same time, but Merlin caught the general gist and was instantly sympathetic. Arthur, who had sworn for years that the day he ran out of chores for Merlin was the day pigs would fly without any magic involved, hadn't a single order for his manservant. How utterly world-shattering. The warlock put his hand comfortingly on his friend's shaking, heaving shoulder, and said soothingly:

"There, there, Arthur. It's okay. It happens to the best of us… Look, here's what we'll do. You can throw things at me like you're angry, and then your room will be messed up, and you can tell me to clean it. How does that sound?"

Arthur's sobs ceased suddenly, and his head flew up as he looked at Merlin with grateful, lit-up, watery eyes.

Merlin faked a smile and tried to keep himself from bolting. The things he did for his friends. Honestly, sometimes he was so self-sacrificial that he amazed himself.